The University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies is pleased to welcome Paula Parás Bravo, Ph.D., RN, PT, M.Sc., director of the Department of Nursing at the Faculty of Nursing, Universidad de Cantabria in Santander, Spain, for a monthlong academic visit this June.
During her visit, Dr. Parás Bravo will engage with faculty, researchers, and students to advance ongoing projects, explore new areas of collaboration, and contribute to efforts aimed at improving nursing education and promoting humanized, patient-centered care.
Dr. Parás Bravo has been collaborating with the school’s faculty for the past three years, fostering a strong international partnership focused on advancing nursing research, education, and innovation. This ongoing relationship has included faculty exchanges and joint research initiatives that continue strengthening academic ties between the University of Miami and Universidad de Cantabria.
In 2024, school faculty member LaToya Lewis, Ed.D.-CI, M.S.N., RN, visited Universidad de Cantabria to share her research and explore opportunities for future collaboration. Building on that successful teamwork, Dr. Parás Bravo is currently engaged in two ongoing research projects with Dr. Lewis and other school faculty.
Her primary areas of research include humanization of care, instrument development, and innovation in nursing education. Together with Drs. Lewis and Kenya Snowden, she is studying the humanization of care and its impact on nursing practice and patient outcomes. In addition, she is collaborating with school faculty members Drs. Juan M. González and Johis Ortega on developing and validating a novel instrument designed to reliably measure student performance in nursing education, with particular focus on issues such as anxiety, coping, resilience, and growth among nursing students engaged in critical care learning environments.
On June 12, Dr. Parás Bravo met with School of Nursing and Health Studies Dean Hudson Santos to discuss opportunities for expanding research collaborations, faculty exchanges, and international alliance between the University of Miami and Universidad de Cantabria.
“International collaborations such as this enrich our academic community and create opportunities to advance nursing science across borders,” said Dean Santos. “We are delighted to welcome Dr. Parás Bravo to SONHS and look forward to the innovative research and educational initiatives that will emerge from this growing partnership.”
